Abstract
Runway friction is a critical factor in aircraft operational safety. However, measuring runway friction is complex and can be influenced by weather conditions, operators, and equipment. This research used laser profilometers to measure microtexture and macrotexture, to assess the condition of a grooved runway surface under different aircraft trafficking, including landing, untrafficked, straight rolling and turning areas. The macrotexture (mean profile depth) did not significantly change at differently trafficked areas of the runway. However, the differences in microtexture were statistically significant. It was concluded that for the runway surface investigated, aircraft trafficking had no significant affect on the macrotexture, but significantly affected the microtexture, with the greatest affect being in the landing area, where the most rubber is deposited during wheel spin up immediately after landing. More landings may increase the contamination effects more, and may also impact the macrotexture in the future.